Insee Première · May 2021 · n° 1858

Local Retail: Centres Flourishing More in the Suburbs than in the City Centre

In 2015, the local retail sector comprised 7,951 centres in metropolitan France and Réunion, the majority of which are located in the city suburbs. Suburban commercial centres only account for a quarter of the establishments in the centres; however, they cover two-thirds of the corresponding commercial area and provide almost half of the salaried jobs.

Between 2009 and 2015, employment in local retail increased, driven by the dynamics of the suburban centres. Conversely, it is stable in city centres. In the latter, the dynamics of employment are more often oriented towards decline, since the functional area of the cities to which they belong is less populated. However, it is not possible to establish a link between this decline in city centre retail and the vitality of the suburban centres.

Overall, local retail is more resilient in functional areas, in terms of both demographics and tourism.